(a) Prior Art
The desirability of creating art images on a person's fingernails and toenails is widely recognized and practiced. Known techniques include transfers, decals, appliques and hand painting. Recently, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,277,205; 5,302,224; and 5,316,026 have been granted regarding novel techniques for creating images on nails. Although the new technology works well in principle, there remains a need to further develop the technology in order to advance it to the point where complex multicolor images can be created consistently and repeatably with excellent registration and detail. Also, there remains a need to improve and engineer the known apparatus to enable manufacture both efficiently and economically.
(b) Summary of Invention
Therefore, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for effectively creating nail art on the nail of a person's digit, and to do so to accomplish the noted purposes. To this end, the invention provides hand-operated apparatus that can be manufactured efficiently and readily, and that will be of rugged construction and will function effectively, smoothly and repeatably.
Accordingly, the present invention achieves the principal object of the invention by a method for applying an art image on a person's nail that comprises the steps of establishing a reference point, positioning a person's digit in a V-shaped groove with the free end of the digit bearing against an orientation surface, located relative to the reference point, on a supporting base at a first preselected location, creating an image composed of an image defining coating material at a location remote from the first preselected location, picking up the created image from said remote location by a transfer element movably mounted on the supporting base, transferring the picked up image over the surface of the supporting base to the person's nail at said first preselected location, and depositing the picked up image onto the person's nail at a position on the nail correlated with the reference point.
In the method the picked up image may be transferred by a linear motion. Also, the depositing of the picked up image may be effected by a linear motion. Further, the transfer of the picked up image may be effected with guiding. The step of creating the image may include the steps of depositing coating material onto the plate and doctoring excess coating material in the creation of the image. The method steps can be repeated a multiple of times with repositioning of the plate between successive times. The method can further include a step of positively stopping the picked up created image in proper orientation to the person's nail during transfer, and the stopping can be adjustable. The method can be carried out to create a multi-color image.
The present invention additionally contemplates a hand operated self-contained apparatus for applying an image on a person's nail comprising a base having an upper extending surface defining a first cutout, an element for establishing a reference point, an image creating plate received in said first cutout for creating thereon an image composed of an image defining coating material, a digit positioning member having a V-shaped groove for receiving and positioning a person's digit relative to the location of the created image, an orientation surface defined by the base against which the free end of the person's digit bears to establish, in cooperation with the V-shaped groove, the appropriate orientation relative to the reference point, a transfer member mounted on said base movable over the upper surface for transferring the created image from the image creating plate to the person's nail.
The apparatus may further be characterized in that the transfer member includes a squeegee for removing excess coating material from an image and a pick up pad for picking up a created image. The apparatus can further include guide elements to guide the transfer member during movement, and the guiding can be linear. In the apparatus the squeegee and the pick up pad may be mounted in common, with the pad mounted for vertical movement. The apparatus may further comprise an adjustable stop serving as the reference point for indexing the pick up pad relative to the person's nail. Also, the apparatus may have the digit positioning member removably positioned in a second cutout in the base and spring biased upwardly.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following.